Wrench



* NITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

JAMES A. MELL AND WVESLEY WORTENBE, OF MOLINE, MICHIGAN.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,831, dated August 31, 1880.

' Application filed May 28,1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMEs A. MELL and W'ESLEY WORTENBE, of Moline, in the county of Allegan and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Trench, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a self-adjusting wrench, cheap and simple in construction, and especially adapted for heavy work.

The invention consists, essentially, of two jaws with legs of different lengths pivoted together, thelongerjaw being also pivoted to a handle in such a manner that either or both jaws can swing and increase or diminish the opening between them within certain limits as may be desired.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device with thejaws in an upright position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, with the jaws in an inclined and fully open position.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents the handle of the wrench, provided at its upper end with a projecting finger, a, which finger a has a straight front edge and a curved back, as shown, and said handle A is provided also at its upper end with a forward projection, I), both finger a and projection 11 being cut vertically by a slot, 0.

B is the longjaw of the wrench, having its back of full width with the handle. A, and curved on the under side to conform with the curve of the finger a and with the front of the shorter jaw, and said jaw B is provided with a central longitudinal deep web, (I, that is pivoted at its lower end in the slot 0 in the projection b, and on the front edge of said web (Z is a cross-piece, f, that serves as a stop to prevent an excessive .forward movement of said jaw B. The shorter jaw O is slotted, as shown at g, and being set over and upon the web (Z of the jaw B, is pivoted thereon, as shown, so that the faces of the two jaws B O shall be opposite each other, and the slotted leg h of the jaw 0 project down between the finger a of the handle A and the stop] of the jaw B, so as to restrict the swing of said jaw G, and afford it a suitable leverage when the wrench is applied to a nut.

When inthe position shown in Fig. 1, if the wrench be applied to a nut and the handle A be moved in the direction of the arrow, the end of the leg h of the jaw O is grasped between the stop f and straight face of the finger a, while the lower end of thejaw B bears against the back-- of the handle A, just below the curve of the finger to, thereby holding both jaws firmly upon the nut. If when fully open the wrench is applied to a nut, the jaw B engages its inner lower curve against the curved back of the finger a, and its stop f upon the projection b, while the face of the leg of the jaw O bears against the face of the leg of the jaw B, and the end of the leg h of the jaw G against the straight face of the finger a, and thus the jaws have all required operating strength and support.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A wrench in which a longitudinally-slotted handle with the curved finger a, is combined with ajaw, B, having web d and stop f, and the jaw U, pivoted to web d, and provided with the slotted lug h, as shown and described.-

Witnesses:

FRANCIS A. KOUGH, F. G. A. KOUGH. 

